Exclusive: SLI Head-to-Head: Monarch Micro-ATX vs. Shuttle SFF

Conclusion

So, how do the two units stack up? Let's recap.

The Hornet Pro is a nice system, offering a lot of power and expansion options in a relatively quiet and relatively small design. The uATX form factor is becoming more popular these days, and the Hornet is a great take on the platform. What's the point of getting a full-tower case when you have audio, network, SATA/IDE, etc. all integrated on the motherboard? You can buy or build smaller and/or quieter systems than the Hornet, but it's difficult to match the performance and price offered by Monarch.

The SLI Revenge is at the extreme end of the performance spectrum, and as such carries a price that not everyone will be willing to pay. If you want the "best" performance that money can buy, the Revenge is right up there with full desktop SLI systems. The EVGA motherboard doesn't appear to be as highly tuned as competing models at present, but it's early in the life cycle and EVGA generally does a good job on focusing on the enthusiast community. Three to five percent slower in a few benchmarks isn't the end of the world, but at the same time, anyone spending this much money is likely to be worried about every last FPS. For those looking to balance price and performance a bit more, the "lesser" models of the Hornet Pro provide a very attractive alternative.

The Shuttle SN26P is in a slightly different position. It's a proprietary motherboard, case, and power supply, and it doesn't have as much room for expansion. It's also smaller than the Hornet by a fair amount. Appearance is basically a toss up between the two: both look good, and personal preference varies by individual. Some may prefer the bling of the vinyl wrap on the Hornet and others will like the matte black paint job of the SN26P - I do think that the SN26P looks better than the other Shuttle P chassis offerings, and on looks alone, I would take the Shuttle over the Hornet. The tool-less features of the Shuttle are also better than the Hornet's options, but the removable motherboard tray somewhat makes up for that. (Hopefully you never have to swap out the motherboard in the Shuttle SFF.)

What it comes down to it is size vs. performance and expandability, and potential buyers will have to determine which is more important. Overall, the Hornet Revenge gets my pick because for people interested in SLI in the first place, performance has to be a critical concern. Otherwise, you'd be looking at the SN25P and the Hornet Pro non-SLI. When you look at the benchmarks, doing exactly that doesn't seem like a terrible idea. Yes, SLI is faster than a single graphics card - in high stress situations. If you don't insist on running 1600x1200 (or higher) with 4xAA, a single EVGA KO or single ATI X1900 XT should keep you happy. On the other hand, if you plan on getting a 30" WS display, you can use all the graphics power that you can get should you try to run at the native resolution of 2560x1600 (not that most games will even support that resolution anyway).

I've said it on numerous occasions in my Buyers' Guides: I would personally prefer to have one high-performance GPU than two lesser GPUs in SLI or CrossFire mode. There are various reasons for this, but what it comes down to is that SLI and CrossFire both rely on profiles in order to get optimal support in most games, so it's simply easier to have a single card and not have to worry about whether or not a game is supported with a custom profile. As the attempts to benchmark the latest version of FEAR demonstrate, the profiles aren't always 100% reliable. You also get the added heat, power, and noise generated by two GPUs that are also undesirable for many.

That's not to say that no one should get an SLI or CF system, as they do offer more performance than a single card. However, the multi-GPU market is on the bleeding edge of technology and is really meant for those who are less concerned with price and more concerned with performance. The vast majority of people will be more than happy with a single X1900 or 7800 series GPU; in fact, even a single 6800 GS or X800 GTO is probably better than what a lot of people are running, though those cards are definitely last-generation technology and have a more limited lifespan remaining.

Obviously, we're not going to recommend that everyone go out and spend $3000 or more on a computer system. If you've taken care of all the necessities of life and you're looking to maximize your enjoyment of computer gaming as a hobby, though, by all means, go for it! These systems are smaller than desktop units without giving up much in the way of performance, and they're quite a bit more portable if you're the type of person to cart your system off to LAN parties. Extreme enthusiasts would be spending a lot of money on their system, and once you reach a certain point, it's not a big deal to spend a few hundred dollars more for the smaller size, if that's what you're after. For mere mortals, spending $1500-$2500 for a complete system is a better way to balance price, performance, and features; and if that's what you're after, Monarch and Shuttle both have offerings that fit those requirements as well.

Not surprisingly, we end up back where we started. These two systems have different takes on the small form factor and SLI platforms, and they will both appeal to slightly different markets. Those looking for a smaller, quieter system that doesn't give up much in the way of performance will prefer the Shuttle. The SN25P is also easier to work with, should you choose to go the barebones route. Anyone looking for maximum GPU performance will need to have a system capable of taking to dual slot graphics cards, and that pretty much eliminates SFFs from contention. Monarch's Hornet Pro SLI steps into the gap, and we're glad to see that someone finally recognized the desire for a micro ATX SLI system. High end and ultra high-end performance doesn't come cheap, but if you're willing to pay, these systems are both worthy of consideration.